Photographic Memories
by EnAiSonoIchiIzureKirenaiNemuri
Summary: Sakura is a princess who's been waiting for her prince for eight years and they are reunited in the midst of his promise, will the fall in love or fall apart? rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Sakura Haruno

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of the characters they are copyright of Masashi Kishimoto, though I do own a computer and some cookies**

**Photographic Memories, Chapter 1: Sakura Haruno**

The beautiful Sakura trees are in full bloom this time of year, a time that reminds her of that boy.

So many years ago they'd parted ways and no matter how hard she tried to forget him the blooming of the cherry blossoms

tightened her grip on reality, his memory.

Every time she passed the cherries, hanging gingerly from the trees she was reminded of him, and his hair red as blood.

His hair smelled of cinnamon, spicy and wild.Every time she even glanced at a cherry tree the emerald leaves reminded her of his

eyes, those cold, desolate eyes, holding all his emotions, loneliness, sadness, and hate...

She hated him for leaving her, but when the cherry trees bloomed she would cry herself to sleep and fondly hope he would come

back to her this time. When his mother died, on his sixth birthday he promised her he'd come back when the cherry trees

bloomed, and soon after he left to go live with his uncle in Suna. He's visited two times since then, the 1st time was to bring a

message from his father, the Kazekage, to the Hokage, and the second was for the chunnin exams, where he nearly killed her.

'He was just too busy trying to become a chunnin that he didn't recognize me' she always told herself. "Well you promised…" she

whispered to no one but herself, after ten long years she thought he'd come back sooner or later "you promised…"

**A/N: So, chapter 1… ish, this is Sakura's intro so it wasn't expected to be long, but don't worry, I wrote this story out on paper, so there should be more out soon, oh yeah, almost forgot, I may throw some non-Naruto characters in there, so don't be confused if I do, but I don't think I will…**


	2. Chapter 2: Gaara Sabaku

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of the mentioned characters, they are copyright of Masashi Kishimoto But I do own a computer and some cookies**

**Photographic Memories, Chapter 2: Gaara Sabaku**

"Mother…" he whispered "why am I like this?" The sand reminded him constantly of a bond between him and his mother, a silent

pact, protecting him like she never could. But now his gaze was averted from the sand, staring at the cherries and the pink

blossoms that gave way to their existence. They reminded him of a promise he'd made eight years ago, a promise he made when

he was six… "I promise, that when the cherries bloom I will come back for you , I promise…" the name escaped him to this day...

He had tried so hard to block out the memories surrounding his mother's death that he blocked out everything about Konoha,

everything but that. The memory that eluded and evaded him, like an apparition, a ghost forever wondering the dark confines of his

mind. Yet deep down, deep, deep down he knew that this person was extremely important to him back then, as she was now. "I

promised you I would save you, but now I promise to find you, to bring you back to me…"

For hours he walked through a sea of cherry blossoms, pondering the name of the girl he once loved, a girl he thought he loved to

this very day. "What is love mother? What is this human emotion that I cannot express?" he whispered to only himself and the

surrounding cherry blooms. All he heard was a light snore in the back of his head. 'Good, Shukaku is sleeping' he thought, maybe

getting a little rest wouldn't be so hard...

Eventually he found a cherry tree with a nook for him to rest in. He climbed up and lay back, slowly closing his eyes, enveloping

himself in darkness. For the rest of the night he replayed the scene, that fleeting memory from so long ago over and over in his

mind…

**A/N: Ok so chapter 2… ish, ha I said the very same thing for chapter 1, well you can't blame me, they're barely long enough to be chapters, but hey, that means less reading for you so tell me what you think**


	3. Chapter 3: Photography

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of the to-be mentioned character, copyright of Masashi Kishimoto (though I wish I owned them) [ Well, I do own the computer that wrote this and a poptart or two**

**Photographic Memories, Chapter 3: Photography**

Sakura woke up to the screaming of the alarm clock, five o'clock flashing blood red on its face. "Time to get up and get to work"

she said, sighing. Photography was her life, all she ever did since he left, but today was not a day to be thinking of him. Sakura was

always lively in the morning but since the start of the cherry bloom she seemed tired and depressed most mornings, slow even...

Today she had been hired by her friend, Ino Yamanka, to do her and Chouji's wedding. Sakura had offered to do it for free but

Ino insisted that she pay Sakura. So Sakura planned her day around the wedding, first she'd get some shots of the wedding, then

head to the cherry fields and take some pictures, and finally go home and develop them. She had decided to take the Polaroid

camera instead of the digital today, so that she could develop them, because developing them was half the fun of being a

photographer...

Sakura wore her nicest pink and red kimono with her exercise clothes beneath it. She jogged some ways, pinning her hair up and

setting the camera until she arrived at the wedding reception. She set herself close to the cherry trees and began taking photos of

people doing whatever they were doing, Ino and Chouji stuffing cake in each others faces, the Yamanaka family competing with

the Akamichi family, you know, the three-legged race and pie eating and stuff like that...

About 3 hours and seven hundred pictures later Sakura thanked Ino for the opportunity to shoot the wedding. She hiked out to the

cherry fields, taking off her kimono and jogging around in the fields for awhile until she found her favorite spot. She photographed

till dusk, using all her film, and on the way back she tripped over a root, accidentally dropping the camera...

**A/N: Haha, sorry it's short, I wrote this story on paper last year and I guess it just looks longer on paper D hope you'll enjoy it though **


	4. Chapter 4: In the Dark Room

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the Naruto characters [ though I wish I did [**

**Photographic Memories, Chapter 4: In The Dark... Room**

Sakura walked home, thoroughly refreshed from her photography. "Home sweet home" she sighed, taking her pictures to the dark

room for developing. After she's dipped them and hung them to dry she walked out to get something to read while she waited but

just as she grabbed her book the phone rang. "Hello?" Sakura asked "Sakura? It's Temari" said a familiar voice. "TEMARI!?"

Sakura shrieked with excitement, but thinking maybe she'd gone deaf or heard wrong she asked a little more quietly "Temari?"

"Yep" Temari confirmed from the other side of the phone "We're back from Suna, just moved in and we looked you up in the

phone book and sure enough you were there!" Temari said excitedly "Thought maybe you'd like to come over and help unpack"

she said, "Sure Tem, where's your apartment?" "Oh… um… 666 Takai Avenue" Temari said "be here as soon as you can, I gotta

go, Kankuro is trying to make lunch and I have to make sure he doesn't burn down the house, but I'm so excited to see you

again!" "Yeah, I'll be over really soon, love ya Tem" she said, hanging up as the receiver clicked...

After it had Sakura ran to grab her camera 'Oh yeah, my pictures' she thought, realizing they had probably dried by now, she ran

to the dark room. She examined the newly developed pictures, "Wow, Ino's pictures turned out great… but this picture…?" she

examined it closer. How had she taken this picture? Who was this? This boy, sleeping in a cherry tree, his hair crimson in color and

"ai" tattooed on his forehead...

She shrugged, packaged Ino's pictures, and left to drop them off and help Temari unpack. As soon as she arrived at Ino's she

knocked softly, examining the package. "Hey Sakura" "Ino" she replied, smiling "I brought you and Chouji's pictures, they turned

out beautifully!" she exclaimed, handing the package to Ino. "Thanks!" "You're welcome, but hey, I gotta run, helping Temari

unpack and she needs my help desperately with lunch" Sakura said, chuckling as she walked away. "Well have fun, and thanks

again Sakura" she said, waving as she retreated down the block. With that Sakura was headed to Temari's…

**A/N: Well chappie 4, yay! Um… so, like it so far? Well please remember, it's short cause I wrote it on paper last year and never really turned it into paragraphs, so editing will eventually happen**


	5. Chapter 5: Welcome Home?

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the Naruto characters but I do own the computer I wrote this on.**

**Photographic Memories, Chapter 5: Welcome Home?**

She found Takai Avenue very easily, she knew this village like the back of her hand. She walked slowly, her legs burning with the want to run,

until she found 666. She knocked lightly on the door, fidgeting in place, anxious to see her friends again. "Come in!" Temari's voice called from

within. Sakura opened the door and entered tentatively, hearing no sound. Then a sudden metallic crash, like a pan against a skull. "Don't worry"

Temari called "Just hit Kankuro with a pan, he practically burned the water for the mac and cheese" she chuckled. Sakura smiled and shook her

head. "As abusive as ever I see" Temari emerged from behind the wall. "Sakura!" she shrieked, pulling her into an inescapable bear hug.

Kankuro then emerged, rubbing his head. "Hi" he said, his mouth dropping slightly at the sight of her. "H…hi" Sakura squeaked, Temari squeezing

the breath out of her. Temari let her go, smiling sheepishly then turning to Kankuro she cleared her throat and he snapped his mouth shut.

"Sorry it's just, you're much prettier than I remembered" he smiled, cocking his head to the left and rubbing the back, either in embarrassment or

pain. "Um… thanks?" Sakura said. "Don't worry about that perv Saku, you're safe with me" Temari grinned hugely, dragging Sakura into the

kitchen. "Saku, will you help me with dinner? Kankuro is utterly incompetent" she glared his way as he edged towards his bedroom. "Sure, what

should I do?" "Well um… you could set the table for starters… if you wanna stay for dinner set four plates… if not then just three" she said,

pointing the two cabinets and a drawer, indicating dishes. "Four? Who else is coming, did you invite someone else?" "Oh no, didn't I tell you?

Kankuro and I have a little brother, we met him in Suna, he was living with our Uncle, apparently dad had an affair with his mom and well when

she died we sort of… inherited him. It was such a surprise I mean, can you imagine? Your mom and dad get a divorce and mom kicks you out, you

move to a new town and, surprise! You have a little affair child of a brother" Sakura frowned a bit at this "You sound like you really resent him"

Temari frowned "No no, don't get me wrong, I love him, but his mom is the reason my parents got divorced, my mom found secret letters she'd

been sending dad asking for money and what-not. Only very recently did I find out it was child-support money she was after." Sakura nodded,

placing three plates around the table. "Oh, you're not staying? That's too bad" Temari frowned "I have a lot to do and tomorrow I have to go to

work, I've been hired to shoot some animals for a Konoha nature special. Have to be up by five, best time for deer and such." Temari's mouth

dropped "But I thought you loved animals, why would you kill them?!" she asked in disbelief. "Oh I said shoot didn't I?" she giggled "I mean shoot

photo's Temari relax, and I do love animals, that's why I took this gig. I did Ino and Chouji's wedding this morning." Temari added cheese to the

noodles and turned the hot dogs down "So those two finally tied the knot eh? I knew they were gonna get together you know" she tapped one

finger on her forehead. Meanwhile…… the sun had faded behind Gaara's lids and he knew it must be dark out. His eyes snapped open, it was

easy to "wake up" because he never fully let himself lose consciousness. If he did Shukaku could possibly get loose and destroy… a lot of stuff. He

stood from the nook and began to stretch his stiff joints, hearing each one pop audibly beneath his skin. He observed the trees around him and a

memory drifted back. An old nickname from before he left. Her nickname, Blossom. He began his long walk home…

**A/N: Chapter 5 after a BILLION years!! Sorry guys, lost the notebook that the story was written in so I had writers block from hell. Thanks for waiting! Ily!! Review plz!!**


	6. Chapter 6: Goodbye Hello

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the Naruto characters or affiliates, but I do own a Gaara t-shirt :D**

**NOTE: One of my… devout fans (lol) has requested that I put the story in paragraph form, because it'll be easier to read. I agree. However I will not be changing earlier chapters until later because I'm lazy. I also want to clarify; this story is in a more contemporary setting, NOT a feudal Japan/ninja setting. Shukaku is Gaara's alternate personality btw, I thought I explained in earlier chaps but I guess not… sorry. Anyway… thanks guys for your constructive criticism!!**

**Photographic Memories, Chapter 6: Goodbye Hello**

He stood from the nook and began to stretch his stiff joints, hearing each one pop audibly beneath his skin. He observed the trees around him and a memory drifted back. An old nickname from before he left.** Her** nickname, Blossom. He began his long walk home…

Sakura chuckled "You knew that hmm? And how is that _exactly_?" Temari grinned widely "One word, intuition." Sakura just shook her head "Welcome back Temi, I missed you." Temari began to set the food out on the table when there was a loud knock on the door.

"Come in it's open!" Temari shouted. She and Sakura both peeked around the corner and there they saw Ino and Chouji. "Billboard-brow!" Ino whined "Why didn't you tell me Temari and Kankuro were in town!" she glared angrily at Sakura who jumped out from behind the wall holding her hands up defensively. "Hey hey! I thought you'd want to… you know…enjoy your honeymoon…" she was abruptly cut off "Yeah yeah! We're leaving for Hoshigakure tomorrow morning!" Sakura shook her head "Well are you staying for dinner then Ino?" Chouji nodded. Though he'd lost a few pounds he still liked his food.

Sakura set two more places at the table and glanced at the clock, 9 pm. Due to it being mid spring it still got dark early. "So Ino, Temari, have fun catching up, but I need to go home, got work tomorrow and it's getting dark" Temari and Ino whined in unison. "Sakura!! Don't go!" but Sakura refused to be sucked in by their pleading puppy dog eyes. "No no, I have to go!" She waved "Bye guys!" she hugged each in turn "See you soon!" they stood at the door to see her off and then returned to there dinner.

Sakura navigated the dark and winding roads. She had been right, it had been getting dark, fast. She roamed the streets slowly, deciding it was too early to turn in but that it was too late to turn back. She wandered, he head filled with thoughts of the next few days, what she planned to do, who she was going to see. She was so preoccupied that she barely took notice of an annoyed groan coming from about a yard in front of her.

The only street light around was several feet from them so she strained to see the person's face. It was hard to see in this dim light but he had striking crimson hair against his pale skin. He was mumbling about being lost and how ridiculous the layout of this town was. He hadn't taken notice of her until she spoke out "Well I can help you… if you'd like" she murmured. His eyes shot up in surprise "Oh… I didn't notice you there… um yeah that'd be great… thanks" He did his best to smile at her but she could tell he was hesitant about trusting her.

"It's okay," she reassured, "I live around here." She pointed to her house about twenty feet away. His expression opened a little but it was still guarded. "Well…" he said "I'm not even sure of the street I'm looking for… I do know my sisters cell phone number if I could use your phone." She nodded and led the way into her home.

"Aren't your parents home?" he asked as she opened the door. "No they're out of town for awhile." She said. She walked over to the phone, leaving the lights off and enjoying the warmth the little house provided. "Here you go" she said, handing him the phone. He punched in a few numbers and hit the talk button. After a while he sighed and gave up. "She's not answering I'll just… find my way back, thanks though" he said waving. "Wait just let me walk you to the street light at least!" she pleaded. He nodded and they headed down the road.

As they approached the street light she saw him squint into the distance, reading the street sign. "Oh I know where I am now… I think." She smiled "Well I guess this is it… bye." He smiled "Yeah thanks… I guess I'll see you around" he turned to fully face her and they finally saw each other in the light. His features baffled her, but the back of her mind screamed 'It's him.'

**A/N: Chappie 6!! I'm just bustin out the chapters now! Inspiration and necessity… it's amazing what they can drive you to do!! Reviews please! Much appreciated!**


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